• Bulacan State University, Malolos

• UTS 101

Unpacking The Self – The Sexual Self “If you have control over yourself, you have no desire to control others.” This lesson discuss the facets of human sexuality such as diversity of sexual behavior, understanding the human sexual response, identifying sexual orientations and differentiating love from lust, as well as the different perspectives of human sexuality; historical, biological, sociobiological, psychological, and religious, including risky sexual behavior that may lead to sexual diseases and unwanted consequences. Though some may feel uncomfortable with these topics, it is important to keep in mind that discussing this objectively will help the individual deal with issues that are usually considered taboo. The Sexual Self HUMAN SEXUALITY – is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, erotic, physical, emotional, social or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Sexual Selfhood – is defined as how one thinks about himself or herself as a sexual individual. PERSPECTIVES OF HUMAN SEXUALITY 1. Historical - In Ancient Greece, the male assumes the dominant role. Their wives were considered as objects to be possessed just like property. Her only function was to bear children. The Greek word for woman is “gyne” which means bearer of children. - During the Middle Ages (476-1450), the Church decreed that all sexual acts that do not lead to procreation were considered evil. Women were labeled as either a temptress (like Eve) or a woman of virtue (like Virgin Mary). - During the 16th century, ushers the Protestantism era which believes that sexuality is a natural part of life and priests should be able to marry and have families. Martin Luther and John Calvin asserted that the reason for sexual intimacy was to strengthen the physical and emotional bond between husbands and wives and not just for procreation. - the 17th and 18th centuries, ushers the birth of the puritans. They have positive views on marital sex and did not condone sex outside of marriage which they consider as immoral (Cate and Loyd 1992 in Rosenthal, 2013). - the Victorian era (1837-1901) during this period, sex for women was just a marital duty and they should not enjoy sex, if they did, then there was something wrong with them. Other beliefs during this era are: ejaculating more than once a month will weaken a man, masturbation will lead to blindness , insanity and death ( Robinson, 2005 in Rosenthal, 2013) - through the years and in the 20th century interest in sexuality became more evident and accepted in society. This is the period when pregnancy can be controlled by natural and artificial contraception. This period is also marked by increase incidence of sexually transmitted infections. The rise of feminism allowed for changes in employment, home life, and sexual standards for women. Over time, cultural diversity and social norms offered varied views on what today may be considered as sexually normal ( Rosenthal, 2013). 2. Biological - knowing the structures and functions of the reproductive system is essential to the understanding of sexuality. Through the process of sexual reproduction, the next generation of human beings are created by the fusion of the egg cell and the sperm cell. - the genes are the basic unit of hereditary transmission localized within the chromosomes. Human beings have 23 pairs (46) of chrom